Monday, September 21, 2009
Separation of concerns
The shower control described here resonated with me. Having a separate control for temperature and volume appeals to me as a software developer. But most sinks don't work this way. Instead, you have a tap for hot water and one for cold. I've seen a sink which did have controls as per the shower. I liked it; most other people complained and eventually it was replaced with a more typical Western arrangement. I wonder why the idea doesn't transport well from shower to sink, or if there are places where that is the norm?
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3 comments:
It's probably just a matter of cost and familiarity. Home improvement stores have carried fixtures with independent controls for a long time. My parents put some in their house over 15 years ago. I haven't replaced any fixtures in my house, so they still have separate hot/cold knobs. At least they are mixer faucets. Really old fixtures (and even some public restrooms) had separate fixtures for the hot and cold water!
Judging from your language, you're North American, or learned English there? In the UK, you don't tend to see taps like that, and if you do, most folk don't like change!
I remember when I went to Poland back in 93 and the family that I stayed with were fascinated that the dominant UK tap style still had separate fixtures for hot and cold, rather than a mixer (yep, the nights did fly by!)
Yes, I am from upstate New York. Taking a look at lowes.com, apparently the single-handle faucets aren't any more expensive than the two-handle hot/cold style. The price is almost entirely aesthetics (I'm sure the quality of the mechanicals contribute). Two of my faucets I don't want to replace because they look really nice, but I like the usefulness of the single-handle controls. At any rate, they are available and it's a matter of choosing to install it.
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